Marauder's Anatomy
by where is fluffy
Summary: If you're looking for a grammatically correct, coffee induced Harry Potter story, look no further! Follows the Marauders, Lily, and her friends through life after Hogwarts. Story of love, loss, and coffee.
1. Behind every successful women

Okay, this is my first story on here, so give it a chance please! I decdicate it to my bestest friend and other half Tara, without whom I probably would have lost interest and given up on this. I love ya!

Anyway, this follows the Marauder's, Lily, and her friends Sam and Saige through life after Hogwarts.

All reviews welcome, even flames! Just warn me if I'm gonna need a fire extinguisher...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to HP. I'm not even sure I can take credit for Sam and Saige since I based them off people I know.

On with the show!

Marauder's Anatomy

**Behind every successful woman...is a substantial amount of coffee. **

**--Stephanie Piro **

She woke up to the sound of . . . nothing. It was completely silent. This was extremely rare, considering she shared and apartment with James Potter. He was the loudest and most obnoxious morning person she had ever laid eyes on.

James, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew had been best friends since being shoved into the same compartment on the Hogwarts Express their first year at Hogwarts. Lily Evans, Saige Grey, and Samantha Atherton had been the same way. After graduating, they all faced the daunting task of finding some place to live. Peter went back to his parents' house, but the others were ready to be on their own. The obvious solution was for the three boys to get and apartment and the three girls to get a separate one. However, the two bedroom flats were cheaper than the three, even when the rent was split three ways. The girls agreed that it was more important to keep the boys apart that to keep themselves together. So the boys drew names to learn which girl they were rooming with. Remus chose Lily's name, which worked out perfectly. They had similar working habits and would not get irritated with each other. They also had a common love of chocolate. Upon drawing Saige's name, Sirius wrapped a long arm around her neck with a gleeful smile on his face. Saige groaned. Sirius was, if nothing else, destructive. This match left Samantha with James. She didn't mind. She and James usually got a long. She liked noise.

Except early in the morning. She decided not to question the silence. She was still in that moment right after waking where every position is unbelievably comfortable and the world seems unbelievably perfect. She snuggled deeper into her pillow, enjoying the warmth.

"SLEIGHBELLS RING! ARE YOU LISTENING? IN THE LANE, SNOW IS GLISTENING! A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT! WE'RE HAPPY-"

Samantha groaned. James had apparently decided that it was time for the world to be awake. He had turned on the wireless full blast and was singing along at the top of his lungs. Samantha was jolted out of her perfect moment. She cringed. _I've got to make it stop!_ her mind screamed. Refusing to open her eyes, she threw a pillow in the general direction of the door. In her sleepy state, she missed entirely and hit a stack of books instead. They crashed to the floor and her wand, which had been sitting on top, let out a series of noises and sparks.

The music abruptly stopped. She fell back into her pillows with a sigh of relief. The feeling ended as a new noise made her sit bolt upright. James was pounding on the door.

"SAM! SAM! Are you alright? Open the damn door!"

Blinking rapidly, Sam fumbled to the door and yanked it open. James was standing there, looking frantic and still yelling.

"Shut the hell up," she murmured. His mouth immediately snapped shut. "Have you lost your bloody mind? It is way too early for singing. And pounding. And whatever else you were doing. Now, unless you come bearing gifts of coffee, I suggest you leave me in peace and go about your morning. Quietly. Thank you."

He nodded.

"What do you mean, 'yes?' Yes what?"

"Yes, I made coffee," he whispered, grinning. He took her small hand and pulled her down the hall into the kitchen. Pressing a mug into her hands, he pushed her into a chair. She pulled her knees to her chest and sipped at the steaming liquid. French vanilla coffee slipped easily down her throat, soothing the rough effects of a cold night.

"You are a god."

"And you, my dear, are a goddess. Well, you don't look much the part, but appearances can be deceiving."

She took another sip of coffee before getting up and heading into the bathroom. She almost laughed when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her light brown wavy hair was pulled into a rather messy ponytail at the crown of her head. Strands had escaped their confinements and were hanging randomly in her face. She had faint circles under her blue-green eyes. She had apparently fallen asleep while writing, for there was an imprint of a quill on her right cheek. A worn gray shirt that read Gryffindor Quidditch in curling gold letters covered her torso. She also wore a pair of oversized light gray sweatpants reading Gryffindor where a left pocket would have been. She had stolen them from Sirius ages ago.

Sam walked back into the kitchen and announced, "I think I look ravishing!"

"So do I," he mumbled distractedly. "Check it out," he said pointing to a newspaper. "You made front page."

Her eyes widened as she looked. She skimmed and article that she had written, that her mind had formed, that her hand had put to paper. At the very end was a small picture of her, her hair at its shiniest, her eyes at their brightest, her lips at their fullest, her chin at its proudest. Underneath it, in small, neat black print was her name: Samantha Giannine Atherton.

Sam started jumping up and down, shrieking in delight. James laughed and pulled her into a hug.

"For the love of Merlyn! I can't believe it! They didn't even tell me! YAY!"

"Congratulations, Sammie dearest! I always knew you were good for something."

"Gee thanks, darling. Love you too. Oh oh oh! I have to go see the others!"

"Go get changed. I'm going to frame this."

Sam rushed into her room. She pulled on a pair of black tights that stopped just below her knees. Over them, she pulled on a pair of green shorts. After donning a blue tank and her warm black fleece pullover, she fixed her ponytail and struggled to pull on her sneakers as she stumbled out the door. She went back into the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth. Blowing a kiss to James, she exploded through the front door.

She was hit with a blast of cold air. _Right, it's December. It's freezing. No matter, _she thought. She carefully climbed down the icy stairs of the flat. Once she reached the bottom, she pulled out from her pullover a pair of mittens, a scarf, and earmuffs. She put them on and took off running down the freshly cleared sidewalk.

Two miles. That's how far away Sirius and Saige lived. That's how far Sam was going to run. As her lungs filled themselves with icy air, she briefly wondered why she hadn't simply apparated. But she knew the answer. There was something about running that was exhilarating. It was as if you just kept going, nothing could stop you, nothing could touch you. You're free and the sky's the limit.

Her feet were barely touching the ground. She felt as though she were flying. She didn't want to stop, but she was nearing her destination, so she slowed considerably. Racing up the stairs to the flat, she caught herself before she fell. She pulled out her key and burst through the door.

Saige was sitting on the couch with a mug of steaming coffee. She was the one that had gotten Lily and Sam addicted to the stuff. Saige's thick blonde hair fell just past her waist and her bangs were in her face. Her jade green eyes went from sleepy to excited in an instant as soon as Sam opened the door. No one's expressions changed as often as Saige's. Her moods were just as quick to vary. It kept people on their toes.

Saige slid her coffee onto a table before rushing to throw her arms around Sam.

"FRONT PAGE!" she squealed, jumping up and down. "I knew you could do it! I knew it. My little Sam is growing up so fast. Before you know it, she'll have her own column. Her own talk show! I'd better be your first guest star, babe, or you shall feel my wrath."

"Planning a little in advance? It's only my first front page article. I'm not going anywhere for a while yet."

"But you will. I see bright things in your future! You will be a _star_! Now go tell Sirius how wonderful you are. He's in his room."

Sam raced down the hall to Sirius' room. She flung open the door and leapt onto his bed. She sank into the covers and yelped. Rolling over, she discovered that she had landed on the corner of a book. Rubbing her side, she looked around. Sirius was not, if fact, in his room.

"SAIGE!" she bellowed.

"SHUT UP!" was the response. "It's coffee time!"

Sam laughed and sank into the pillows. They smelled like Sirius. His room smelled like him. Or maybe he smelled like his room. She gazed at the pictures adorning his walls. Pictures of the seven of them at Hogwarts comprised most of them. James and Sirius having a pillow fight, Remus eating chocolate and reading, Sam, Saige, and Lily dancing in their pajamas, Peter sleeping as James draws a mustache on his face, Remus and Saige playing wizard's chess, Lily trying to get James to do his homework, and Sirius tickling Sam mercilessly.

Sam got up. There was no use sitting around waiting for Sirius to arrive. She walked back into the living room where Saige was reading the paper.

"Mind if I shower? I'm kinda icky."

"No problem," Saige replied, glancing up. "You know where my clothes are. Just make sure I get them back eventually."

Sam nodded and entered Saige's room. Slightly messy and covered with the most random things, it fit Saige perfectly. There were books on healing, since Saige was a student in medical school. Records and posters of bands covered her walls. Sketches that she had done were scattered across the room. She was a girl of many talents.

Sam opened the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater. She went into the bathroom to shower. When she finished, she dressed and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a drowned rat. She yanked open a drawer of Saige's make-up. She applied some eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. She ran a comb through her hair and magically dried it.

"Samantha Atherton! I know you're here! There's no use in hiding!"

Sam ran out the room and back down the hall. Sirius Black was standing in the living room with his trademark lopsided grin. Sam rushed into his arms and he spun her around.

"_Front page, front page, front page_," he sang. Sam laughed as he put her down.

"Thank you, thank you," she said, bowing dramatically.

"This calls for a celebration!" Sirius exclaimed, jumping onto the couch. In a loud voice, he announced to Sam and Saige, "Tonight, in honour of the great accomplishment achieved by one Samantha Giannine Atherton, we will attend the Seven Hundred and Fifty Third Annual Ministry of Magic Christmas Eve Ball, hosted by none other than the Minister of Magic himself!"

"All for me?" Sam asked innocently.

"All for you!" he told her, jumping off the couch as Saige just laughed. He took Sam's hands and looked into her eyes. He had a playful grin on his face. "I hope you will grant me the honour of being your personal arm candy for the night?"

"I dunno, Sam. Maybe you should think about this. That guy working at the flower shop has had his eyes on you," Saige remarked, with a gleam in her eyes.

"WHAT?" Sirius shouted in mock outrage. "How dare someone look at you without having been granted my royal permission?"

He pulled out his wand and aimed it at the coat rack, standing alone on the corner. "On garde! 'Ow dare you even zink about 'er!" he yelled in a ridiculous French accent, sending harmless curses at the coat rack. "Take zat! And zat! Ha-ha! You are nozing but a silly- Ah ha! You zought you were a match for me?" he asked as the coat rack toppled over. He stepped on its "neck", defeating it.

"Oh! My hero!" Sam exclaimed, rushing over. "I would love to go to the ball with someone as incredibly strong and amazingly brave as you!"

"Don't forget devastatingly handsome," he said.

"I thought that went without saying."

"You two are positively ridiculous," Saige interjected.

"Why thank you for noticing!" Sirius replied gratefully. "One does one's best, you understand."

Sirius ducked the pillow that had suddenly decided to fly at his head, just as he had many pillows before.

So that's the first chapter! I have the next few chapters written already, but I think I might wait for a reaction from readers to update. Or maybe just some encouragement from my Other Half. Cookies to anyone that reviews!


	2. Love teaches even asses how to dance

Allrighty any lovely people that happen to be reading this! I am an impatient person right now and I wanted to update with the next chapter, so here it is. It occurred to me that there wasn't much going on with the characters that I didn't create, so this one has a lot more of that. Okay, that's about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Obviously. JR could probably come up with a better name to use than where is fluffy.

**Love teaches even asses to dance. **

**--French Proverb **

"We are stunning," Saige announced, looking at Lily and Sam. They had just spent the last four hours getting ready for the ball. Each looked lovely in their new ball gowns.

Saige's gown had a black corset-like bodice with white lace at the top and for the long draping sleeves. The corset had red embroidery winding around it. Her skirt was multiple layers of white lace that flowed past her ankles. The edges of the lace were hemmed with red thread. Her blonde hair was loosely curled and part of it was pinned back with a red flower. She looked amazing, to say the least.

Sam's gown was much tamer in comparison to Saige's. It was a light blue sleeveless satin gown with dark blue trim. Long flowing sleeves were attached just below the shoulder where a glove would end. The top and end of the sleeve had the same bark blue stain trim as the neckline and the hem at the bottom. She also had trim around her hips, coming to a V in the front. Her brown hair was in waves with two small pieces on each side pinned back, but some stray strands were falling in her face.

Lily wore a gown of dark green crushed velvet. It was strapless, but she had gold gloves that came past her elbows. Gold embroidery also lined the neckline in a flower design. There was a large gold flower at her left hip where the fabric split and a lighter green fabric came spilling out. It created a beautiful effect. The green dress made her emerald eyes look even brighter and her thick auburn hair stand out. Her hair was in a knot at the nape of her neck, but strands had escaped their confinements, framing her ivory face.

"We look too good for them," Sam agreed, looking at the other two. "They don't deserve us."

"And we're not self-centered at all, are we?"

"Of course not, Lily dear! We simply know what we deserve. And right now, we deserve a night of dancing like the beauties we are! Don't you agree?"

"Of course, Saige. So let's go find our dates, shall we?"

They apparated to the dance hall where the Ministry was holding the ball. It looked perfectly normal on the outside, but as soon as they stepped through the door of the building, they were frozen with astonishment. The marble floors reflected the light of the thousands upon thousands of twinkling lights in the room. The banisters of the stair were wrapped in beautiful wreaths with tiny lights imbedded in them. Brilliant gold candles were floating around with red and green flames. They walked farther in and saw that there was an enormous tree in the middle of the ballroom. It was trimmed with gold garland and was embellished with immense red ornaments. On top was a large glittering star that was slowly rotating.

"Wow," Lily breathed, as someone took their cloaks and hung them in the closet.

"Understatement of the millennium," Saige whispered, as if she were afraid something would break if she spoke too loudly.

An usher led them to another large room with all the other women. He explained that they would wait there until all the guests had arrived. Then each of them would be announced separately and their partner would come and lead them to the dance floor.

"Nifty," Sam murmured. "We get to be center of attention."

"Yes, for about two minutes."

"That's about two minutes more than I was expecting, Lily dear."

They spent the next half hour mingling with the others that had arrived. Madame Permalott had shown up. Lily made a very un-Lily-like comment about how she shouldn't wear a dress as low cut as the one she had on unless she was going to shave her chest. Saige almost choked on a laugh trying to cover it up. They also saw Hannah Hughes, who went to Hogwarts with them. She hadn't changed a bit. Her hair was still too bleach blonde, her eyes still glared, and she still could not come up with a nice comment for any of them.

Finally, the usher came back in and led them out. They stood in the hall as he prepared to announce each person. They were standing in no order, so they relied on a small woman with a large voice to tell them when they were supposed to appear. The usher stood just inside of the door to the ballroom, announced her name, and stood aside as she walked in.

"Escorted by her husband, George Hopkirk, I present to you, Madame Mafalda Hopkirk."

There was light applause as George Hopkirk came up to lead his wife, who took her sweet time descending the stairs, away.

". Escorted tonight by Arnold Peasegood, I present to you, Miss Glenda Crook."

More light applause rang out. The usher read a few more names before the small woman shouted for Saige to come forward. She put on a shaky smile, unsure of whether she could handle walking down stairs, and stepped to the door.

"Accompanied tonight by Mr. Remus Lupin, I am pleased to present the lovely Miss Tara Saige Grey."

She stepped out a little nervously as she heard applause. She looked out and saw Remus walking toward the foot of the stairs. He smiled at her and she relaxed. Confidently walking down the stairs, she was proud to say that she did not trip and fall. She took Remus' arm and he led her back down the aisle.

"You look . . . amazing," he whispered. She couldn't help but smile.

"Good. That's the look I was going for."

Soon they called Sam. She stepped up behind the door, confident as ever. She wasn't worried about walking down the stairs; she'd taken dance classes for years and knew how to move without falling. . . most of the time.

"Accompanied by Sirius Black, I present Miss Samantha Atherton."

Sam put on a confident smile and began walking down the steps. Sirius was at the bottom to meet her with his lopsided grin. Whereas Remus was stunned by Saige, nothing ever fazed Sirius. He was always one step ahead, ready with a comeback for everything.

"You look astounding this evening, milady," he said, bowing deeply as she reached the foot of the stairs.

"You don't look so bad yourself. I told them you would clean up nicely."

Laughing softly, he offered her his arm, which she took, and led her to stand next to Remus and Saige.

Many more names were called. People were getting tired of waiting, but they were polite and continued to pay attention. However, it seemed as though the list would never end. The Minister himself was toying with the idea of inviting considerably fewer people the next year.

Behind the door, Lily was still standing. Her stomach was twisting itself up in knots. She was never one of those people that wished to go last for something; being the center of attention wasn't her thing. She had a tendency to wait in the background for someone to notice her. That was why everyone was surprised when she became such good friends with Sam and Saige. They were polar opposites of her and people didn't understand how they got along.

"Lily Evans?"

She looked up. Everyone else had gone. "Lovely," she thought. She stepped up to the door, her gown rustling slightly. She heard the usher but couldn't make out any words. The small woman gave Lily a soft push and she stumbled out the door.

The crowd was silent. Blushing furiously, she cursed her complexion. Determined not to look at the people watching her, she focused all of her attention on walking down the steps. She slowly descended the carpet covering the marble steps. She reached the bottom, sighed with relief, and proceeded to trip on her gown.

Luckily, James caught her with minimal fuss. She stood upright and took his arm, obviously flustered.

"You look-," he began.

"Like a fool," she muttered, still blushing.

"Beautiful," he corrected. "You could never look like a fool."

She allowed herself a small smile as everyone moved towards the dance floor. The band had started playing some light music. James took her hand and led her amidst the crowd. He placed his other hand on the small of her back and she rested hers on his shoulder. As they moved slowly about the floor, James muttered unnecessary comments to put her at ease. She began to relax in his arms and danced rather than moved mechanically.

"Better now?" James whispered, twirling her around. It was generally easy for him to calm her down. He just kept talking. As much as she hated it, noise helped her relax.

She nodded. "Much."

Sam and Sirius moved towards them. Sam leaned over and said, "You got to be last! I'm so jealous. But you looked _amazing_!"

Sirius spun her away as Lily laughed. They watched him plant a kiss on her forehead before turning her a few times.

"She's crazy. Being last is terrifying," Lily murmured, looking into James' blue eyes. They stared back into her own emerald ones. "I didn't want them to notice me any more than anybody else, but everyone always remembers the first and last."

"Sometimes you're going to have to accept attention. Stop hiding from it. You're wonderful and deserve some recognition sometimes. You should be proud of yourself. I am."

She smiled. James could be the most infuriating person in the world sometimes, but at others, he could be so incredibly sweet that it made her knees tremble. That was one of the things she loved about him. He was selectively sweet and caring. He didn't care much for big public displays of affection, but that was all right with Lily. She was fairly modest.

For the next hour or so, they continued dancing. Sam and Sirius would occasionally pass them, saying a quick hello. James borrowed Sam for a quick dance and Sirius spun Lily around the dance floor. She didn't exactly dance with him, more clung to him for her life. After that harrowing experience, Remus came by and took Lily from Sirius before he could kill her. The dance with Remus was much less dangerous and Lily relaxed more. Saige, however, was flying around the dance floor, clutching Sirius, but laughing all the while. Once everyone ended up back with their own dates, things were much less hectic. Sam and Sirius disappeared again and Remus and Saige danced not to far away.

"You really look beautiful tonight," James whispered as he and Lily danced to a slow ballad.

"Shut up. I don't look any better than anyone else here. You're just biased."

He thought a moment before consenting. "Maybe just a little. But you are beautiful. And my vote counts for three. So that's three against one. I win!"

"You are ridiculous," she laughed. "And since when does your vote count for three?"

"Since I became the King of Norway. And the King of Norway is always correct. Do you ever talk to someone and hear them say 'Look, there's the King of Norway. He made a mistake yesterday. He was wrong on a very important issue'? No, you don't. And that is because the King of Norway is never wrong."

"You're absolutely right. But seeing as how I don't know anyone that knows the King of Norway, I've never really encountered something like that."

"You do so! I am the King of Norway! And you know me!" He sounded scandalized. "At least I hope you know me. Otherwise I've been dancing with a stranger."

Just then, Saige and Remus showed up and informed them that they were leaving.

"Dancing isn't really Remus' thing, so we're going to go grab some coffee or something."

"Just a thought, Saige, but you may want to stay at Remus' tonight. Not sure what you'd walk in on if you went back to your place," James warned.

They all glanced over to Sirius and Sam, who were still dancing. Holding her closely, he whispered something in her ear. She laughed carelessly and kissed his cheek.

"I'll keep that in mind," Saige replied, smiling. The group bade each other good-night and Remus led Saige away.

James took Lily in his arms again and they began to dance. Lily rested her head lightly on his shoulder and his arms wound tightly around her. He could feel her soft breath on his neck. Breathing deeply to keep his stomach calm, he gently stroked her back. He was in love with this girl and knew that she loved him too. It was just that every time things got really good between them, she pulled back. Not enough to ruin their relationship, but enough to cause tension. It wasn't an issue at hat particular moment in time, possibly because she was high off the excitement of the ball, but was usually problematic. James knew that he would anything and risk it all for her. His inheritance, his dreams, his life, he would give them all up if she asked him to. Her smile, her laugh, her touch, they all made his stomach flip and his heart pound. He didn't like the vulnerability of feeling that way, but at the same time, he wouldn't trade it for the world. He wished that he could make Lily understand, but she wouldn't let him. She backed away whenever she was confused or nervous. He had slowly learned to handle her the same way one would a scared animal. He would stay still and wait for her to come to him.

Another hour or so passed before they told Sirius and Sam good-bye. James could see that Lily was getting tired and he didn't want her falling asleep just yet. They agreed to meet at James and Sam's flat the next day to exchange gifts. Sam gave Lily a quick hug and whispered, "Don't do anything that I wouldn't do."

"That basically leaves me free range."

Sam looked offended at first, and then shrugged. "Okay, true, How's this? Don't do anything that I _would_ do."

Lily laughed and she and James apparated to his flat. Lily grinned at all the Christmas decorations. Sam was, if nothing else, a fanatic when it came to Christmas. A huge tree covered with ornaments and tinsel stood in the corner. Next to it was the fireplace where she had hung stockings for James, herself, her kitten Mister Cat, and James' owls. Wreaths hung on all the doors and windows, tied with bright red ribbon. The cabinets in the kitchen had little Santa Clauses and reindeer hung on them. Mistletoe just about covered the ceiling and candy canes could be found everywhere.

"This place," James muttered, running a hand through his hair, "looks ridiculous."

"I think it's cute," Lily replied defensively.

"Yeah, well you obviously love Sam more than I do. But even you, as caring and tolerant as you are, would not think it's cute after a month of living here. Sam's got some clothes that you can change into. Actually, you might find some of your own stuff in there. I think she's got more of yours and Saige's clothes than her own."

Laughing, Lily kissed him softly before entering Sam's room. She kicked some books out of the doorway and tossed a pillow back on her bed. Lily grabbed a pair of pants and a tank from the pajama drawer. Sitting on the bed, she slipped her shoes and gloves off and slid out of her dress. After changing into the pajamas, she looked in the mirror. She used magic to remove her make-up and pulled the pins from her hair. The red curls spilled around her shoulders. She stuck her tongue out at her reflection for good measure and left the room.

She padded barefoot down the hall and into the living room. A tray of steaming hot chocolate was on the coffee table and James was trying to start a fir in the fireplace without torching the stockings. He turned around upon hearing her feet on the floor. He had changed into normal pants and a shirt.

"Hey babe."

"Hey. I made hot chocolate," he said, heading over to the couch. He sat down and poured two mugs. Glancing behind him, he saw Lily searching the bookshelves. He watched her, constantly pushing her hair behind her ears, where it refused to stay. Apparently finding what she was looking for, she squealed with delight and pulled a book off the shelf. She walked behind the couch and placed the book on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Ah, the photo album. Come, my dear, and let us dwell in days of old."

Giggling, she moved around the couch, as he lay lengthwise across it. She sat between his legs and leaned back against him, bending her knees and propping the album against them. She used one hand to hold up the album and entwined the other with James' callused one. He busied his unoccupied hand with tugging gently on her curls.

The first picture was of Lily, Saige, and Sam on the Hogwarts Express in their first year. Sam was standing on the seat, gesturing exuberantly as she told a story. Saige was laughing hysterically, he blonde hair escaping its braid. All one could see of Lily was her high ponytail and her jeans. Her knees were pulled to her chest as she huddled in the corner behind a large book. Every once in a while, she would peer out over the book, her green eyes wide.

"You look a tad scared," James murmured.

"Oh please! Those two ambushed me! I was just sitting there, minding my own business, when they burst in, Sam announcing that she just had to tell me something and it couldn't wait another moment. I didn't know their names until she was finished. I should've kicked them out before they started talking. I've been stuck with them ever since."

"You know you love them, "James replied, highly amused.

"Yeah, of course I do. My life would be incredibly boring without them. Oh look! That's our first Christmas!"

James, Sirius, and Remus were all wearing Santa hate while the three girls had adorned elf caps. Poor Peter had large reindeer antlers. They were all still wearing their pajamas and were posed for the camera. Peter was sitting on the ground in front; the three girls were kneeling behind him, a tangle of arms as they hugged each other; and the other boys were standing in the back, arms slung casually around each other. They all wore the huge, show all your teeth, eyes threatening to close grins that were only cute on young children. If the picture were watched long enough, Sirius leaned forward to tickle Lily as James tugged one of Sam's braids. They lost balance and fell over, pulling Saige down, who knocked the feet out from under Remus. He, Sirius, and James crashed to the floor until they were just a pile of knotted arms and legs. Only Peter remained upright, and he simply looked around in confusion.

"That's when we started our charm bracelets," Lily said. Saige had given charm bracelets to Lily and Sam and kept one for herself. The only charm on the bracelet was of their first initial. Every year since then, they girls drew names and bought the person they chose a charm.

"I remember that. If it hadn't been for them, I might not have ever learned your name."

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"Well think about it. Saige and Sam always called you 'babe' or 'darling' just like they do everybody else. The teachers called you 'Miss Evans' if they called you anything at all. Sirius nicknamed you Coppercurls, Remus didn't speak unless absolutely necessary, and Peter was terrified of you girls. It would have been awkward to ask your name, so I just called you Evans. But when you opened your gift, Saige announced 'L for Lily'. But I was so used to Evans that I couldn't change at that point."

She laughed lightly and kissed her fingers. "I wish you would've used my first name. They're so much friendlier than surnames. We might not have argued so much."

"You called me Potter!"

"Because you called me Evans! I thought maybe you had thing for surnames or something!" she protested.

He laughed and tugged another curl. That had been a huge turning point for them, using first names. It had changed their entire relationship.

_They were arguing again. James didn't even remember what they were arguing about. They were in the Common Room, having just finished rounds. As Heads, they got the latest and most hated patrol shift. Lily was screaming about something, James didn't know what, all he saw was her eyes, full of anger, glaring at him. She always seemed to be glaring at him. On occasion, he had wondered what she saw as she scowled in his direction. At that moment, however, he just wanted to make it stop._

_"Bloody hell, Lily, can you shut up for one minute?" he demanded._

_She stopped mid-sentence. He had just called her Lily. He never called her that, never. If there was one thing that could stop Lily in a rant, it was throwing a curve-ball like that._

_Trying to regain her composure, she sneered, "Since when are we on a first name basis?"_

_"Dammit, Lily! This is absolutely ridiculous! Don't you ever get tired of arguing with me? We go around and around in circles like we're on some twisted carousel! If we even begin to agree on something, you immediately change your opinion! And I'm really no better. I purposely do things to irritate you because otherwise you wouldn't give me a second glance. So I do one stupid thing after another, trying to get your attention, which is absolutely ridiculous since we're supposed to hate each other with every fiber of our beings. But I'm sick of it! I don't want to hate you anymore. I can't hate you anymore. Hating you is like-" He paused, attempting to discover where he was going with this. "Hating you is like hating that stupid deer in that muggle movie you love so much!"_

_"Bambi," she whispered, shocked. "How do you know about Bambi?"_

_"I listen. I'm not always sticking my foot in my mouth. Sometimes I shut up long enough to hear what's going on. I listen when you talk, Lily. You're smart, I like to hear what you have to say."_

_Lily couldn't speak. This was crazy; this was insane. She couldn't handle this. Her heart was beating in her ears and her stomach felt like it was trying to eat itself._

_"Say something, Lily."_

_She shook her head, looking as though she were about to cry. She wasn't glaring at him, but her eyes were wide with fear._

_"I can't," she choked out, before fleeing up the stairs._

They hardly ever mentioned that night after that. However, they didn't argue nearly as much either, and when they did, it didn't blow to cinematic proportions. They actually got along much better after that. Their friends didn't have a clue what had passed between them, but they weren't going to question it. It was nice to see Lily smile and laugh around James. Lily was surprised to discover how funny and smart James actually was. He didn't make blanket statements without being able to justify them. They got into many debates that caused both of them to rethink their opinions. They got along and even fell into a warped friendship.

Lily flipped to the picture taken right after the Quidditch match that determined whether Gryffindor would go to the finals in their seventh year. The whole of Gryffindor had rushed the field to congratulate their team on their win. People were screaming and jumping up and down in excitement. Lily, on the other hand, marched up to James, determination leading her, and kissed him full on the lips. To her immense relief, he had responded to her kiss and wrapped his arms around her.

"We definitely look out of place. Everyone's celebrating and you've got your tongue down my throat," she said loftily.

"Excuse me? I believe it was _your _tongue that was down _my_ throat!"

"Well, whatever."

There was a comfortable silence as Lily tickled the palm of his hand.

"You know, you're the first girl I ever let kiss me," he whispered.

She looked up sharply. "What?"

"Don't get me wrong, I've kissed plenty of girls before. But that's the thing. I had kissed them. Maybe it was a control thing. I don't like feeling vulnerable. So the girl never initiated it. You were the first I let do that."

"And I had better be the last," she informed him, snuggling deeper into his chest, "or you will suffer, I guarantee it."

""Really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Mm-hmm," she whispered sleepily.

"Well then," he said, reaching into his pocket, "I have something for you."

Lily sat up, her eyes widening at the sight of the small square box. Only one thing came in a box like that and she didn't want it.

"No, stop, please. No. James? Stop it, no," she whispered frantically.

He looked at her frightened eyes and said, "Hush. It's not what you think it is so stop. I know better than that. Here, open it before you freak out on me.

She opened the box and he heard a small intake of breath. Inside was a gorgeous ring and the girlish voice inside her head was screaming for her to take it. The white gold band was embedded with five jewels: alternately three emeralds and two diamonds. It was a simple ring, but that was how Lily liked anything she had. In its simplicity, it was extremely elegant, and she had to fight the urge to snatch the ring, no matter what his reason for giving it to her.

James took it out of the box and showed her the inside. Engraved in the ring were the words "Forever and Always". That was how he signed all the letters he wrote to her. She but her lip, resisting the impulse to snog him senseless.

"Think of it as a two way promise ring," he told her, meeting her eyes. 'I'm in this relationship with every intention of marrying you one day. Not yet, I know you're not ready, and I want to wait until I'm out of auror training and stable enough to take care of a family. This is a promise that I will propose to you one day if you give me time. But I need you to promise me something too." He took her small hands in one of his and squeezed them. "I need you to promise me that, when I get into hard-core auror training and have to disappear for weeks at a time and can't tell you anything, that you won't give up on me, that you won't forget about me and find some guy that will be there to hold you every night."

She frowned. His eyes were full of worry. It hit her like a ton of bricks that he was really, truly, honestly afraid of losing her. She always worried that he would one day realize that she was just a crazy kid with high hopes and no future and would leave, wondering what he was thinking. But here he was, scared to death that she was going to walk out on him? She smiled softly and kissed him.

"I promise," she whispered against his lips. She felt him smile as he returned the kiss, his deeper than hers had been. After pulling away, he slid the ring on her finger.

She leaned back against him again and held her hand out in front of her. She moved it, watching as the ring caught the light of the fire.

"It's very pretty," she said gleefully.

He kissed the top of her head and Lily relaxed against him, listening to the steady beat of his heart. James stroked her hair until they both fell asleep.

Okay, so that's chapter two! Cookies to anyone that reviews! And I depart with a random latin quote:

nill illigitemi carborundum! 50 House Points to whomever can translate it!


	3. Get not your friends by bare compliments

Here's chapter three! A lot of this came from randomconversations with my friends, so I hope you enjoy it. This one has a little of that loser Peter in it, since I realize that I can't ignore him completely or my story won't work. Poo on a stick.

Disclaimer: I do not, obviously, own Harry Potter. I do, however, wish I did. Then I could have my way with him and all of his hot British buddies.

**Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love.**

**Socrates**

Sam yelped as she tripped out of the bathroom while trying to pull on a boot. She landed on her back, staring up at the upside-down grin of Sirius Black.

"Good-morning, love."

"Oh," she snapped. "Is it? Let's see, we're going to be late for Christmas, my hair is soaking wet, and, oh yeah, I'm on the floor."

He pointed his wand at her hair and it was instantly dry. He pocketed his wand.

"Thanks."

He lifted her from the ground and pulled her close. He kissed her gently and rested his forehead against hers.

"It _is _a good morning. You look stunning."

"Meh," she replied, pulling away. As she poured some coffee, she asked, "Out of curiousity, what colour is my hair right now?"

"Blue."

"Fix it."

Laughing, he muttered a spell. She checked in a mirror to make sure her hair had been restored to its original colour. It had.

As soon as she finished her coffee, he tossed her a helmet. She caught it on instinct.

"No, Sirius, no."

"Oh, c'mon, Sam! It'll be fun! And you need an excuse for showing up late. If you apparate, they'll know you were just slow. Besides, it's only two itty bitty miles." He looked at her pleadingly. It was those big sad puppy eyes that were irresistible.

"I hate you," she told him, grabbing her coat. His face lit up instantly. He yanked her out the door in his excitement. "And it's never just two miles with you."

He jumped on his gleaming black motorcycle and pulled her on behind him. As she wrapped her arms around his waist, he revved the engine.

And they were off.

Sam and Sirius stopped in front of James and Sam's flat thirty minutes later. Thrusting the helmet at his chest, Sam sent Sirius a death glare.

"You are the only man alive who could manage to take half an hour to go two miles."

"It's a gift."

He took her hand and they entered the flat. They saw Saige and Remus sitting on the floor playing with Mister Cat. Lily and James were still asleep on the couch. Upon seeing Sam, Mister Cat left Remus and Saige and pawed at Sam. She picked him up and he leapt onto her shoulder.

Saige looked up and said, "You know, you take Christmas decorations to a whole new level."

"It looks like Christmas threw up in here," Sirius agreed.

Sam hit him in the stomach. Scratching Mister Cat's head, she gestured towards Lily and James. Remus shrugged.

"We decided not to wake them. I like James best when he is asleep, so I wanted to enjoy it while it lasted."

"Mwa ha ha," Sam cackled, handing Mister Cat to Sirius. "Revenge is sweet."

She tiptoed dramatically to the wireless and turned the volume all the way up. After pausing for dramatic effect, she pushed the ON button.

"-INGLE BELL JINGLE BELL JINGLE BELL ROCK! JINGLE BELL-"

"AARGH!" James yelped amid crashing to the floor. Lily sat rubbing her head as James looked around wildly. Spotting Sam by the wireless, he glared.

"Not cool."

"I beg to differ," she replied while Sirius helped Lily up from the ground.

There was a sudden sharp pop of air. Saige screamed and clutched at Remus who jumped as a result.

"What?" Peter asked innocently.

"Ugh," Saige groaned, letting go of Remus who was looking at her extremely amused. "I hate apparation. It catches people off guard and it's loud and dangerous and makes you feel weird. Floo Powder is much better."

"Because being consumed by flames doesn't feel weird at all."

She hit Remus with a pillow.

"It's a zillion times better! The roaring fire warns people that someone's coming so they don't just instantly appear and scare the crap out of you. And if you end up in the wrong fireplace, hey, so what? It's still a portal so you can turn around and go somewhere else. And the flames tickle."

"But if you ended up in the fireplace of, oh, let's just say a Death Eater, you could be killed. Or worse, you could be-"

"Okay!" Sam interrupted. "Let's open presents, shall we?"

"Or worse? What's worse than losing your life?"

"You could be tortured into giving valuable information to the Dark Lord! You could help him kill! Or worse-"

"Hey! Presents! Today!" Sirius yelled.

"There's another worse?"

"You could become a Death Eater yourself! Floo Powder is just as dangerous as, if not more than Apparation."

"Ouch!" Saige yelped as she was hit in the head by a box. "Oh, candy!" she cried, ripping the candy cane off the box and, forgetting her anger, sticking it in her mouth. She proceeded to take it back out, remove the plastic, and put it back in.

Sam tossed a box to Lily and caught another thrown by Saige. Saige opened her box and lifted a charm of a corset, much like the one she had worn the previous night.

"You are just jealous of how amazingly sexy I was last night," she informed Lily, attaching the charm to her bracelet and shaking it around. "I'm just luck I had a hot date because who knows what drunken bastard I would have gone home with otherwise."

Sirius briefly wondered if anyone else caught the blush creep across Remus' face. Shaking away the thought, he watched Lily open her gift. She unwrapped a small pair of frilly underwear and squealed in delight.

"Party Panties!"

Sam and Saige had gotten Lily a ton of lacy, frilly, polka-dotty, fun underwear for her last birthday. They told her it was time for her to trade her good girl underwear for Party Panties. It was one of the many ways they had corrupted innocent Lily Evans.

James made a suggestive noise and inquired as to what kind of underwear she was wearing at that moment.

"That," she replied, "is for me to know and for you to wish you could find out."

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Quick, Sam," Saige pleaded. "Open your before Lames reveals Lily's panties."

Laughing, Sam tore the paper off her own box and took of the lid. She held up a miniature lacy bra.

"Is this a joke?"

Saige shrugged and responded around the candy cane protruding from her mouth, "Think of it as a push-up bra for you complete lack of boobs."

"I wouldn't say she completely lacked in that area," Sirius protested.

This earned him a hard smack with a pillow, and the couple were on the receiving end of more than one questioning stare.

"So!" Sam said uncomfortably.

"Did anyone else notice," Peter asked, "that they all got each other underwear?"

They all looked around and burst out laughing. It was true. It was an extremely strange coincidence. It proved that they maybe knew each other too well.

Other less provocative gifts were given. Saige gave everyone sketched she had done. Lily had short stories she had written and Remus had bought bizarre chocolates for everyone. They were odd looking, but they had all learned to trust Remus' taste in chocolates.

A few hours later, the girls were in the kitchen making a late lunch. It was going to serve as their Christmas dinner, so there was a lot of food. Turkey and stuffing, potatoes and carrots, cranberry sauce and gravy, and Christmas pudding were being prepared.

"So you and James looked pretty cozy this morning," Sam said suggestively.

"Shut up," Lily retorted, wielding the knife she was using to slice potatoes. "Everything was nice and perfect so don't even try to make it sound dirty. You know it was nothing compared to what you and Sirius must have been doing last night."

"Fine," Saige conceded before Sam could respond. "So what did he get you for Christmas?"

Lily held up her hand and smiled as Sam and Saige began exclaiming over it. Lily laughed and briefly recounted how he gave it to her.

"That is so sweet!" Sam told her. "And really pretty! And sweet! And pretty! And did I mention sweet? And pretty?"

Ah," Saige began, looking at Sam, "but is it as pretty as what Sirius gave you?"

"You knew?" Sam gaped at her.

"Of course I knew! He didn't trust himself, so he picked it out and had me approve it. I thought he did extremely well."

Sam pulled a gold locker out from underneath her sweater. A simple flower was carved into the front of it. She opened it and exposed a picture of Sirius and Sam with their arms around each other, smiling and laughing, their hair blowing. On the back of the cover piece were the words "I love you".

"I was so proud of my roomie for picking out such a pretty necklace," Saige told them. "But I got the feeling that I should be glad I didn't go home last night."

"Yea, let's just say that there wasn't much talking happening."

Lily coughed and hastily changed the subject. "So what did you and Remus do last night?"

"Oh, you know, we talked and drank coffee and talked and drank coffee and talked and drank coffee and talked and drank coffee and talked…" she trailed off.

"Aw, babe," Sam moaned sympathetically.

"Don't get me wrong, I love talking to him. It's just that I want to do more than talk. Don't make that dirty, Sam. But he's not making a move and I'm not making a move and we are officially going no where and it's absolutely infuriating!"

"He'll get there eventually. He's never been good with that whole friends to couple transition," Lily reminded her. "Don't give up yet."

She sighed. "Well I wish he'd hurry up. I don't have forever. I guess I'll just have to focus on finding a place to intern for now. They're sending me out on my own at the end of May."

"Really? Got any places in mind" Lily asked curiously.

"A couple. But I'm still looking for the perfect place. St. Mungo's is good, but that's where everyone is going and I want someplace different, someplace that I'm not familiar with. I've been to St. Mungo's too much. I want someplace without any memories."

The oven door slammed. "Everything is cooking and there's nothing else to do in here," Sam announced gleefully.

Running her hand through her hair, Lily left the kitchen smiling, the other two following. She curled up on the couch and snuggled against James who was watching Quidditch on the television. Sam sank over the arm of an armchair and on top of Sirius. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gently stroked her side. Saige lay in front of Remus on the floor, using his crossed legs as a pillow. He unconsciously started running his fingers though her hair, thoroughly engrossed in the Quidditch match. Sam and Lily exchanged a look, but said nothing.

"He shouldn't have done that. Should've passed to-"

"Murphy," Saige finished for Remus. "He was wide open and had a perfect shot of the goal."

"Not a clear shot. Haiker would have hit him with a bludger," Remus responded.

"He could've dodged it," Saige defended. Remus raised and eyebrow at her and she looked up at his upside down face. "Maybe."

The game went on for a while, Remus and Saige bantering about what should have happened. Sam got into a discussion with herself about how the Snitch must have been tampered with by the grumpy goblins at Gringotts. According to her, the goblins hated Quidditch, which Sirius thought was inhuman. Sam replied that that was okay because they weren't human and thought that Quidditch was a noisy nasty sport. So they cursed this particular snitch to be able to apparate along with flying so no one could ever catch it. The goblins found it terribly amusing to see the ridiculous humans flounder after an unattainable goal.

Suddenly, Peter jumped with a yelp, pulling t his left sleeve.

"Oh, would you look at the time?" he squeaked. "I must be going. Business meeting. You understand."

"What?" Sam cried. "On Christmas? But we haven't even had dinner!"

"So sorry. Thank for the thought though. Must be off. Happy Christmas!"

And with that, he was gone.

Saige lay back down, frowning while Sam mumbled about Christmas spirit. Saige chewed on a fingernail, thinking. When Peter reached for his left arm, it was as if something had alarmed him. And he mentioned the time. But he hadn't been wearing a watch.

Okay, there it is. Now, please review! I have a lot of hits and no reviews to show for it! What's a girl to do? Even if you hate it, leave a comment please!

Last update's Latin: Don't let the bastards get you down!

New Latin: non compos mentis

If you can translate that (and tell me in a review!), you win 50 points for the House of your choice! And a cookie if I'm feeling nice.


	4. All love that has not friendship

yay! i finally got some reviews! now to address those who made comments.

Danimister and cosmopolitan: thank you so much! yall are sweet!

WheezlyGirl: no offense, but no kidding. i know lily and james are supposed to get married. im sorry that the first chapter didnt have much L/J, but i needed to get some other things established first. read on before you judge please.

crystaltambaia: gives gigantic bear hug and hands large plateful of chocolate cookies. you are incredible. just letting you know. i love getting the reviews with just "i love your story" cuz that boosts self esteem, but i really love constructive criticism cuz that makes me a better writer. i sat down and did the chart thing you suggested and it really helped. I'm also going to put aside my opinions of a certain rat and include him more in the story since that will become more important later on and i dont want to have written myself into a hole. as to the conflicts, im working on it! its harder than i thought it would be. theres not a lot in this chapter, but ive got some stuff in the next chapter. im actually having a lot of trouble with that one b/c i needed to put a death eater attack and im just not liking how it's turning out. if anybody has any tips, i'd really appreciate it!

Okay, I'm not really uberly happy with this chapter, but I needed to get some stuff out of the way and those damn plot bunnies were attacking me. So, it's basically pointless fluff. I was busy prepping for dance recital when I wrote it (incidentally, at recital my dance teacher announced that I was senior student of the year! it's hard to explain how big a deal that is. just know that i got up there to get my flowers and almost cried. but i didnt. if i had, i would have been teased mercilessly by my friends who were in the audience.) So anyway, I have chapter 5 written too, but I'm really not happy with it, so it might be a while before I'm even reasonably satisfied with it. My Other Half is gonna help me out, but exams might slow progress. That's why I wanted to get this one up for y'all. Anyway, here's chapter 4!

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**All love that has not friendship for its base is like a mansion built upon sand.**

**Ella Wheeler Wilcox**

Saige scribbled furiously with her quill. She was in the middle of an extremely difficult test given by one of her hardest teachers. The tests were entirely essay and were usually too long to finish. Unfortunately, her teacher did not take that into account and serious points were docked for every question left unanswered. She continued to write, ignoring her cramping hand; she would deal with it later.

Someone started sobbing. Saige resisted the urge to look up. It would not be the first time someone had left the room crying, and it would most certainly not be the last.

A loud, obnoxious buzzer went off and all the tests flew to the front of the room. Saige stared in horror down at her desk. She hadn't finished. In all honesty, she was nowhere close to finishing. She needed that grade to be good and she hadn't even been able to answer all the questions. This was a nightmare.

Gritting her teeth, she picked up her bag and left the lecture hall. She leaned against the wall outside and slid down the smooth surface. Closing her eyes and leaning her head back, she sighed. After a moment, she felt a presence next to her, but was too preoccupied to see who it was.

"Was it really that bad?"

"That thing raped me."

She opened her eyes and looked up into the sympathetic face of Remus.

"What are you doing here? You don't usually come around campus."

"Well, I knew you had a major test today and I thought you could use a little pick-me-up afterwards. Care to go find some dinner?"

"I would, darling, but I am completely broke. I had to get some new supplies because I used all my potions stuff and I had to pay rent, and, go figure, but I had to buy some food before the refrigerator was completely barren."

"I'm buying."

A grin broke out across her face. "My two favourite words!"

He helped her up from the ground and took her bag. They walked out of the hall and into the courtyard. Saige wrapped her scarf around her neck to shield it from the cold. Judging from the sky, it was going to snow soon. She loved snow, but could not afford to catch a cold right now. She was too busy to sit in bed and recover.

They left the campus and headed toward Diagon Alley, chatting lightly. Saige complained about how long medical school was taking, and Remus made a few bitter comments on how difficult it was tokeep a job because he was a werewolf. Saige was sympathetic to his situation and the fact that he did not really want to talk about it and changed subjects to keep the conversation flowing.

The two reached a small pub and entered. It was crowded, but not overly so. They grabbed a table slid out of their coats. Saige smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. A waitress came and took their drink order, then disappeared into the crowd.

"So how have you been? You haven't talked much lately. I'm beginning to worry about you. It used to be difficult to get you to stop talking about the latest book or scientific discovery," Saige teased.

"Yeah," he laughed. "But… life's been difficult recently. Things were so much easier at Hogwarts. You woke up, ate breakfast, went to class, ate lunch, went to class, did homework, ate dinner, and went to sleep. Now it's more of wake up, hope you have time for breakfast, barely get to work on time, forget lunch, keep working, leave late, grab a cookie for dinner, and collapse in your bed."

"We knew life was going to be more difficult. They kept trying to prepare us for it. We didn't always have time for breakfast and most days you and I were found in the library working during our lunch hour. Mind we didn't have to do our own laundry then, but we still had a lot to do. I think we just miss it because we didn't have to be completely self-sufficient then. If we forgot an assignment, we wouldn't be expelled, but now we could be fired."

"And when did money take top priority in our lives? All we used to have to do with it was buy candy. Now we have to buy real food and clothes and pay rent."

"No kidding," she replied. "Believe me, if Dumbledore hadn't written all those recommendations for scholarships, I would not be in med school. My parents just wouldn't be able to afford it. And whenever I'm not in class, I'm working at that coffee shop so I can pay rent. My boss learned to keep enough of my paycheck for rent because he was worried I was going to spend it all on coffee." She giggled. "I like coffee."

They continued talking, reflecting on the changes that had occurred since they graduated. They ate and talked, laughing over old times. Suddenly the manager of the pub yelled for everyone to be quiet as he turned up the wireless.

"… the threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named continues, the Ministry will be taking extra security measures. Aurors will patrol the main streets at all times. They will be undercover but ready to assist at the first sign of danger. We ask that all places of business close promptly at nine o'clock each night. Everyone should be sure that all their doors and windows are securely locked. This is an urgent situation and we would appreciate full cooperation. Thank you."

There was an uproar around the pub as the wireless was shut off. Many businesses could not close as early as nine, especially the restaurants and bars. However, some people were relieved at the news of aurors patrolling the streets.

"It's not going to work," Saige told Remus in a sing-song voice.

"No kidding. There aren't enough aurors to patrol all the main streets. The Ministry barely has enough to send on missions to find Death Eaters. How does the Ministry expect them to patrol streets night and day too?"

"I'm sure they're just saying that to make people feel better. They just want some sense of security, I guess. Though any intelligent individual would realize that this is stupid."

"Exactly. As if locking your doors is going to keep a Death Eater out. I'm positive that if they wanted to get in, they could easily bust down the doors and windows."

There conversation turned to the battle with the Dark Lord. It was a depressing subject, but it was a common topic. It seemed to be on everybody's mind, and discussions often turned to it eventually.

After a few hours, they left. The manager was debating whether to close like the Ministry had asked or not. Remus and Saige did not want to hang around for the protests in case he did decide to close. They stopped to get some ice cream before heading back to their flats. Remus insisted on buying, and Saige did not complain because, like she had said, she was broke. She had coffee ice cream and Remus had chocolate, same as they always did. Remus didn't even have to ask what kind of ice cream she wanted. He just knew.

After ice cream, they walked back to Saige's flat.

"You wanna come in? I'm sure Sirius would love to have you over, if he's even home."

He thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head. "I've got to get home. Work tomorrow. But hey, after work maybe I'll stop by the coffee shop and we can do something."

"Sure," she replied, flashing him a smile, even thought her mind was screaming that he was an idiot and should make a move. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

She went into her flat and shut the door. He heard it lock and groaned. He should have gone in. He wanted to go in. He was an idiot.

He apparated back to his flat and crashed onto the couch, falling into a restless sleep.

The next few weeks passed in much the same way. Remus and Saige would spend a day together occasionally, and Remus would chicken out, go home, and fall into a fitful sleep. Saige went home more and more frustrated with each passing day. Remus, of course, was completely oblivious to this fact as he continued to refrain from making a move.

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"Lily, what are you doing?" James asked, staring at her. Her hair was pulled up into a messy knot on top of her head and she was wearing her glasses. She was scrawling energetically on the parchments on the desk in front of her. James looked around the living room of the flat that Lily shared with Remus and saw that sheets of parchment were littered all over the room.

"Writing," she muttered absently. "I got an idea for a book."

"Another one?"

She nodded. "But this one's really good. This one's going to work."

He raised an eyebrow. She had had ideas for books before, but had scrapped all of them. He wasn't so sure that this one would be any different.

She looked up. "Don't look at me like that. It's really good this time. I promise."

She stood up and stretched. Shoving her glasses on top of her head, she walked over to James and reached up, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. He looked down at her, a good foot shorter than him. He leaned his forehead against hers, taking notice of the dark circles under her eyes.

"So what's this one about?"

"Nope!" she said, pulling away. "Not telling. It'll be a surprise when it gets published and I'm a famous author and can quit my job at the Ministry."

"You're pretty confident about this one, I take it."

She spun around in glee. "Yes, I am! It's going to be magnificent and I will have publishing companies begging at my feet to gain the rights to fabulous work of literature."

He frowned. "Lily, I wouldn't get too excited about this if I were you. You just started working on it, and you've thrown out plenty of ideas before. What makes you think that this one is going to work?"

She stopped spinning and peered at him, her glasses sliding back onto her nose. She pushed a sleeve of her shirt up past her elbow. "Because this one had been bouncing around in my head for a while. I've jotted down some stuff, and I really know where I'm going with this one. The others were just plot bunnies that attacked. This one is fully formulated. It… it has to work. I know it will."

"Lils, I just don't want you to get your hopes up and then have them come crashing down around you. It's just… Lily."

She had turned away from him and was gathering up the papers on her desk. The stack in her hand grew and grew until she had to put it down because her tiny hands couldn't hold it any longer. Undeterred, she continued putting papers on the stack, pointedly ignoring him.

He touched her arm and she whipped around, sending some of the papers fluttering to the ground.

"How long have you been sitting here working?"

"A couple hours. Okay, all night." He just stared at her. "Ugh, James, I don't have time for this right now. If you're not going to be happy, just get the hell away from me."

"Lily," he stared, his voice tense. "You're tired. You're just looking for an argument."

"No! I'm not! I- God, James! You're always like this when I start something new!"

His anger flared. That was the problem with him and Lily. They both had quick tempers and were incredibly stubborn.

"You're being ridiculous! Stop and think about this. If it doesn't work you're going to be devastated or disappointed and you're going to expect me to help you get back on your feet! And you know I will because you've got me wrapped around your finger, butit would just be much easier on everyone if you don't put so much into this."

She glared, angrily. "You are being such a gigantic turd! It's complete bull that you're going to help me! You're just going to tell me 'I told you so.' And then we'll be angry at each other and we'll scream and yell for hours because that's how we are!"

"Are you kidding me? We are screaming! So it won't be any different!"

"Why can't you just back me up? Why can't you believe that I can do this?" she asked, choosing to ignore his comment.

"Because you can't figure out how to prioritize! You never give yourself time for fun!" He wasn't quite sure what this had to do with anything, but he wasn't thinking very clearly anyway. "You throw yourself completely into something and forget about anything else that's going on! What's going to happen when this book crap consumes you? What about your job? What about your friends?"

Her eyes glowed brightly. He was glad she couldn't actually shoot with her eyes, because he would be dead. "I'll be fine, James! I'm not stupid enough to jeopardize my job, but this is really important to me! I always support you with your things. Why can't you ever support me in mine?"

"Because I'm not willing to watch you throw your life away for some childish dream!"

She looked at him and shook her head, pointing at him "There. That's it. Right there."

She turned and walked out of the flat, leaving James muttering curses.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James were all hanging around Remus' room one dreary afternoon. Sirius was hanging upside down off one side of the bed while James simply lounged on it. Peter was poking suspiciously with his wand at a bowl of Jell-O of Lily's that he had found in the refrigerator and Remus had thrown himself across a chair, flipping idly through a magazine.

"Ask her out."

"No."

"Ask her out."

"No."

"Ask her out."

"No."

Peter and Remus had been going through this conversation for the past thirty minutes. Sirius had remained silent for once, possibly because there was too much blood in his head to speak.

"The two of you keep getting together and doing stuff anyway. Why not just make it a date instead of a stupid 'friends' thing? If you don't ask her out, someone else will. I'm horrible with girls, and even I know that you should ask her out."

"Do you think I don't know that? But what if she says no? Or laughs at me? No. I'm perfectly happy with how things are going."

"Except you want to snog her senseless and are incapable of doing so under the given circumstances," Sirius gasped, trying to force air out of his lungs while still hanging upside down. "I'm kinda stuck. Would someone help me?"

James grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him into a sitting position. Sirius grabbed his head and waited for some of the blood to drain. Finally, he said, "Look, you need to get laid. She needs to get laid. She is incredible sexually frustrated right now and I can only handle so much. I left some dirty socks on the floor and she screamed and yelled for days about how they're stinking up her clean house."

"Uh, not that you don't make a valid point about the two of them needing to get laid," James told him, "but we didn't like having your nasty socks around when we were rooming at Hogwarts either. Those things are rank."

"Really?" he asked, seriously concerned. He lifted his foot, sniffed, and blinked rapidly, making a sour face. "Wow."

"Yeah, maybe you should try washing them," Remus pointed out. "In case you don't remember, they used to be white."

Sirius peered at his socks then back at Remus. "Really? I always thought they were grey. But anyway, that's not the point. You need to ask her out. For all of our sakes."

"Seriously, with all the trouble you guys are having, I'm not sure that I should be taking advice from you."

"Hey, now, Sam and I are just fine. And Lily and Prongs here are just hitting a rough spot right now. And Peter's had his share of girlfriends. Trust us!"

Peter jumped as the bowl of J-ello exploded, sending bits of gelatin in everyone's faces.

Remuswiped his face.He trusted his friends about as far as he could throw them. But maybe it was time to throw caution to the limb, or go out on the wind, or whatever that stupid phrase was.

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Okay, so there ya go. And I'm all excited! I have over two hundred hits! Only... I don't have two hundred reviews... Imagine that. Somehow, the nubers dont match up. Fix it people!

Okay, since NO ONE is guessing my Latin phrases, I'm just going to keep putting them up to irritate you.

Last week's translates to "Don't let the bastards get you down!"

This week's quote: Vae! Huius causa, in capita nostra multa merda manabit!

Still 50 House Points for anyone that guesses!


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